Inside No. 9

Those masters of the dark arts, the former League Of Gentlemen co-stars Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, return with a second instalment of their deliciously macabre shorts, the first series of which won best comedy performance at the Royal Television Society awards last week.
Like a Tales Of The Unexpected for the 21st century, each perfectly formed 30 minutes offers a masterclass in storytelling: witty, imaginative, inventive and suspenseful - with a clever twist at the end for good measure.
The six tales are linked by the number nine and in the opening episode, La Couchette, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Mark Benton, Jessica Gunning and Jack Whitehall join Pemberton and Shearsmith on board the sleeper train from Paris to Bourg-Saint-Maurice. They're a motley collection trying to get a quiet night's sleep as the train makes its way across France, but as the sleeping compartment fills up, the chances of that begin to look highly unlikely...
The setting for future episodes include a séance in the grand Victorian villa, a modern-day family get-together, a 17th-century village witch trial and a volunteer call centre, with Alison Steadman, Claire Skinner, Jane Horrocks, Paul Kaye and Tom Riley among the cast. Special mention must go to Sheridan Smith, however, for her performance in next week's offering, The 12 Days Of Christine, a powerful, moving story of one woman's rocky journey through life. It is an absolute gem, one of the best things I have seen on television this year.

For Reece Shearsmith, whose collaborations with fellow writer and actor Steve Pemberton include The League Of Gentlemen] and Psychoville, there's something irresistible about the dark side of life. "Whenever we've tried to do anything lighter, it doesn't feel complete until we've added some darkness", says Reese, who co-wrote Inside No. 9 with Steve. "The tales are not always horrible - but then again, maybe our threshold of what's horrible is very different from everyone else's!"

Their new collection of surreal stories opens in the No. 9 carriage of a sleeper train in France. Jack Whitehall, Waterloo Road's Mark Benton and former Corrie star Julie Hesmondhalgh are among the passengers trapped for one night on a journey that takes a chilling turn.

"The thrill is that viewers never quite know what's happening," says Reece, 45. "Each episode starts with its feet on the ground, and the scenery looks familiar. That's how we lull you. You think: 'I've seen this before' - and then suddenly it turns into something you definitely haven't seen before. We hope that's what makes Inside No. 9 more arresting."

Jack Whitehall on Inside No. 9

Jack Whitehall had absolutely no hesitation in saying "yes" the moment he was offered a part in the second season of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's latest inspired comedy series, Inside No. 9.

TV preview: Inside No 9 - La Couchette, BBC2

The scenario did make me think of one of those old Peter Cushing portmanteau horror yarns where it turns out everyone is already dead and the train is heading to hell. I'm not saying if that is the case here. Though I will say that there is a hellish moment involving a shoebox that has put me off communal travelling for life.

Steve Pemberton: Reopening the doors Inside No. 9

Steve Pemberton, writer and actor for shows such as A League of Gentlemen, Psychoville and Benidorm, talks to BBC Writersroom about his upcoming 2nd series of Inside No. 9. A dark comedy anthology which he co-writes/co-stars in with Reece Shearsmith.

Inside No. 9 - Series 2 preview

So whether you're a fan of comedy, drama, horror, or simply a fan of great television then please make sure you catch the second series of Inside No. 9. I love the darkness mixed in with the light, I love the fact you never quite know where it's going and the imaginative use of space keeps me coming back for more each week.

Inside No. 9 series 2: Pemberton & Shearsmith's genius

Here's a spoiler-free look at what to expect from the second series of Steve Pemberton and Reese Shearsmith's glorious Inside No. 9.

Preview: Inside No. 9 - La Couchette

This is our preview of the first episode, "La Couchette", set on a French railway sleeper carriage...

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton on Inside No. 9

"We wanted to do something that was a reaction against the box set culture", says Reece Shearsmith's co-cretaor Steve Pemberton at a press conference to launch the second series.

Lovingly crafted masterpieces that get inside your head

These stories repay watching again & again, so you can cherish them - and their intricacies, subtleties & hypnotising character interplays.